Willie Best

Actor May 27 (died age 49) Sunflower, Mississippi, USA 1930–2004 (74 year career)

5.7 avg rating

Biography

William “Willie” Best (May 27, 1916 - February 27, 1962), sometimes known as “Sleep n' Eat,” was an American television and film actor. Best was one of the first African-American film actors and comedians to become well known. In the 21st century, his work, like that of Stepin Fetchit, is sometimes reviled because he was often called upon to play stereotypically lazy, illiterate, and/or simple-minded characters in films. Of the 124 films he appeared in, he received screen credit in at least 77, …

Known For

Film

High Sierra

Algernon

Film

Vivacious Lady

Porter

Film

At the Circus

Redcap (uncredited)

Film

The Ghost Breakers

Alex

Film

Merrily We Live

George

Film

Cabin in the Sky

Second Idea Man

Film

A-Haunting We Will Go

Waiter

Film

Thank Your Lucky Stars

Soldier in "Ice Cold Katie" Number (uncredited)

Filmography

Acting (120)

Movies (116)

TV in Black: The First Fifty Years

2004

as Self (archive footage)

4.0

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

1975

as Self (archive footage)

6.1

Harold Lloyd's World of Comedy

1962

as Charlie (archive footage)

7.3

Meet the O'Briens

1954

as Willie

Ellis in Freedomland

1952

as Male Model

South of Caliente

1951

as Willie, Stable Boy

The Shanghai Chest

as Willie Best

Half Past Midnight

as Andy Jones

Suddenly It's Spring

as Porter on Train

The Red Stallion

as Jackson

Dangerous Money

as Chattanooga Brown

The Bride Wore Boots

as Joe

The Face of Marble

as Shadrach

The Red Dragon

as Chattanooga Brown

Hold That Blonde!

as Willie Shelley

The Monster and the Ape

1945

as Flash

6.1

She Wouldn't Say Yes

1945

as Porter (uncredited)

5.9

Pillow to Post

1945

as Lucille, Colonial Auto Court Porter

5.3

Home in Indiana

1944

as Mo' Rum (uncredited)

5.5

The Adventures of Mark Twain

1944

as Butler

6.6

Music for Millions

1944

as Red Cap (uncredited)

6.0

The Mark of the Whistler

1944

as Men's Room Attendant (uncredited)

The Girl Who Dared

as Woodrow

Dixie

as Steward (uncredited)

Cabin in the Sky

as Second Idea Man

Cinderella Swings It

as Hipp

The Powers Girl

1943

as Men's Room Attendant (uncredited)

6.5

The Kansan

1943

as Bones

5.4

Thank Your Lucky Stars

1943

as Soldier in "Ice Cold Katie" Number (uncredited)

6.0

Scattergood Survives a Murder

1942

as Hipp

4.5

The Hidden Hand

1942

as Eustis, the chauffeur

Juke Girl

as Jo-Mo

Busses Roar

as Sunshine

A-Haunting We Will Go

as Waiter

Maisie Gets Her Man

as Sam (Uncredited)

Whispering Ghosts

as Euclid White Brown

Flight from Destiny

as George

The Body Disappears

as Willie

High Sierra

as Algernon

The Smiling Ghost

as Clarence

Minstrel Days

as Singer

Kisses for Breakfast

as Arnold

Scattergood Baines

as Hipp

Nothing but the Truth

as Samuel

Highway West

as Bub Wellington

Breakdowns of 1941

as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

7.0

Road Show

1941

as Willie

5.3

The Lady from Cheyenne

1941

as George

4.6

Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company "B"

1941

as Hot-Breath Harry (voice) (uncredited)

6.3

Money and the Woman

1940

as George Washington Jones

I Take This Woman

as Sambo

The Ghost Breakers

as Alex

Blondie on a Budget

as Newsboy (uncredited)

6.0

Who Killed Aunt Maggie?

1940

as Andrew

4.3

At the Circus

1939

as Redcap (uncredited)

6.4

Mr. Moto in Danger Island

as Launch Pilot

Way Down South

as Chimney Sweep

The Covered Trailer

as Baltimore

Slightly Honorable

1939

as Art, Elevator Operator

4.7

The Saint Strikes Back

1939

as Algernon, Simon's Butler (Uncredited)

5.6

Private Detective

1939

as Norton's Valet

6.0

Blondie Brings Up Baby

1939

as Hotel Janitor (uncredited)

6.5

Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation

1939

as Driver (uncredited)

6.6

Blackmail

1939

as Bunny - the Janitor (uncredited)

6.4

Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter

as Apollo Johnson

Blondie

as Porter

Vivacious Lady

as Porter

Merrily We Live

as George

Spring Madness

as Porter on Train

Straight, Place and Show

1938

as Hannibal

6.0

Crashing Hollywood

1938

as Train Porter (uncredited)

5.8

I'm from the City

1938

as Train Porter

5.0

Gold Is Where You Find It

1938

as Joshua

6.9

Everybody's Doing It

1938

as Jasper - Elevator Operator

Youth Takes a Fling

as George

Goodbye Broadway

as Jughead

Racing Lady

1937

as Brass

5.3

Super-Sleuth

1937

as Warts, Martin's manservant

Deep South

Mississippi Moods

Saturday's Heroes

as Sam

You Can't Buy Luck

as Airline Porter (uncredited)

4.0

We Who Are About to Die

1937

as Airport Porter (uncredited)

Meet the Missus

as Bootblack

The Lady Fights Back

as McTavish

Breezing Home

as Speed

The Bride Walks Out

as Smokie

Down the Stretch

as Noah

Night Waitress

as Black Pedestrian

General Spanky

as Henry

Thank You, Jeeves!

as Drowsy

The Green Pastures

as Henry - the Angel (uncredited)

Silly Billies

as Excitement

Mummy's Boys

as Catfish

Murder on a Bridle Path

1936

as 'High-Pockets'

5.0

Muss 'em Up

1936

as Janitor at Spivali's Bar (uncredited)

Two in Revolt

as Eph

Hot Tip

as Apollo

Jalna

as Sam

The Nitwits

as Sleepy

The Littlest Rebel

as James Henry

Hit and Rum

as Shoe Shine Man (uncredited)

The Arizonian

1935

as Pompey

Murder on a Honeymoon

1935

as Willie (as Sleep 'n' Eat)

6.3

Horse Heir

1935

To Beat the Band

1935

as Elevator Operator

Raised and Called

1935

Little Miss Marker

1934

as Dizzy Memphis (uncredited)

6.4

West of the Pecos

1934

as Jonah (as Sleep 'n' Eat)

Kentucky Kernels

1934

as Buckshot (as Sleep 'n' Eat)

6.3

The Monster Walks

1932

as Exodus (as Sleep n' Eat)

Up Pops the Devil

as Laundryman

Virtuous Husband

as Luftus

The Guilty Generation

1931

as Club Merlin Doorman (uncredited)

6.1

Ladies of Leisure

1930

as George (uncredited)

6.1

Feet First

1930

as Janitor

6.6

Television (4)

Waterfront

as Billy Slocum

My Little Margie

Racket Squad

The Stu Erwin Show

as Willie